“Work is an exacting test of our integrity: including our efficiency, organization, determination, and creativity.” —Pastor Charles R. Swindoll

Can you be a person of integrity and a successful businessperson at the same time? A Christian should be. Christians are to demonstrate how God would negotiate a deal, try a case, diagnose an illness, teach a class, or build a building. But too often Christians don’t demonstrate integrity to the world. The world doesn’t judge our integrity on Sunday morning. The world judges our integrity by the way we live on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday...God measures our integrity quotient every day of the week.

If you need a standard by which to gauge your own business integrity, Joseph is a perfect example—he demonstrated integrity in every aspect of his life. And by observing his business life, we’ll learn how to order our priorities and test our motives.

Joseph modelled integrity and wholeness in his business dealings—he had the right priorities and motives. Applying these helpful suggestions will help you to further develop integrity in your business life.

Our highest priority as Christian professionals should be our commitment to Christian principles. If we have to lie or step on people to succeed, then we’ve failed. And when we get to the top of the corporate ladder, we’ll discover that the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall.

Our other priority should be the careful investment of time. Perhaps the hardest word to say in the English language is the easiest to spell: N–O.

Our motives must be pure, continually watching how we relate to people and asking why we said yes or no to each request. As business professionals who are Christian, we must always treat people with dignity and respect, show humility, and remember for whom we ultimately work—the Lord.

“On-the-Job Integrity” is from Chuck Swindoll’s series Joseph: A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness. You can stream this message online anytime at insightforliving.ca/audiolibrary.